From Ageism to Age Equality: Addressing the Challenges ...

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developed as an integral part of equality proofing. Investment in services targeted to older peoplemust reach and be relevant to all older people. Finally, participation that brings to the fore the voicesand perspectives of older people must reflect both the diversity and the specific perspectives ofparticular groups of older people. This demands solidarity between older people and theirorganisations and other groups experiencing inequality. Solidarity must be reciprocated as thesegroups take account of age diversity among their members. This solidarity is good for equality as itmobilises and links a diversity of minorities into a stronger voice for change. It is good for a societythat thrives on the participation of all its members, young and old.68Conference Proceedings
Conference Conclusions andPriorities for the FutureBob Carroll, Director, NCAOPWhat is Ageism?Robert Butler, who coined the term, said that the underlying basis of ageism is the dread and fear ofgrowing older, becoming ill and dependent, and approaching death.As we heard this morning from Loretta Crawley, ageism is multi-dimensional: affective, cognitive andbehavioural. It encompasses negative feelings and prejudices against older people, stereotyping ofthem and discrimination against them.The old are often portrayed as conservative, set in their ways, cranky, feeble-bodied and feebleminded.These stereotypes are increasingly contested by the organisation Age and Opportunity andothers who promote positive attitudes to ageing and older people. More insidious perhaps is theincreasing use of terminology implying a threat to society from the older population generally.Examples emerging from the pensions, insurance and medical industries include:69the ageing crisisthe demographic time bombthe burden of ageingbed-blocking.As indicated at our last conference, to characterise population ageing as a crisis and a burden isageist, not only because it devalues the triumph of increasing life expectancy, but also because itthreatens intergenerational solidarity and a society for all ages.Does Ageism Exist in Ireland?Terminology such as ‘the burden of ageing’ and ‘bed-blocking’ quickly projects onto older people andfacilitates negatively differential treatment of them in employment, education, pensions, health,social care, insurance and other services particularly important to them.But does ageism exist in Ireland? It is pretty clear from the papers presented by Síle O’Connor andEileen McGlone that indeed it does. Among respondents to the ARK Survey, there was a widespreadperception that older people are generally treated less favourably in our society because of their age.From Ageism to Age Equality: Addressing the Challenges
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From Ageism to Age Equality:Address
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Introduction1
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Presentations in the Final Session
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membership of the Traveller communi
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Opening Address (1)Karen Erwin, Cha
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Opening Address (2)Sylvia Meehan, B
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What is Ageism?Loretta Crawley,Scho
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Marginalisation is very often the r
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Ageism and Attitudes toOlder People
Page 22 and 23: Table 2: Perceptions of how one is
Page 24 and 25: Fear of crime was identified by ove
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Page 28 and 29: Just 4 per cent of respondents aged
Page 30 and 31: Table 14: Personal preferences for
Page 32 and 33: Attitudes Towards Older PeopleTable
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Page 38 and 39: Postal Survey of AttitudesWe conduc
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Page 42 and 43: Screening and Preventative Services
Page 44 and 45: ConclusionsThe broad aim of health
Page 46 and 47: 42Conference Proceedings
Page 48 and 49: Rooting Out AgeDiscrimination in th
Page 50 and 51: Training EventsTraining events on a
Page 52 and 53: Guide to Auditing Age Discriminatio
Page 54 and 55: Effective Involvement of Older Peop
Page 56 and 57: Combating Age Discrimination 9Liste
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Page 60 and 61: The Status of Age Equality andNon-D
Page 62 and 63: equired to have adopted the two Dir
Page 64 and 65: necessary to promote awareness of i
Page 66 and 67: Implementing Equality forOlder Peop
Page 68 and 69: Provision of Goods, Services, Educa
Page 70 and 71: Such an exercise, often quite simpl
Page 74 and 75: Older people who internalise pejora
Page 76 and 77: When considering the implementation
Page 78 and 79: Richard BakerRichard chairs the ant
Page 80 and 81: Síle O’ConnorSíle O’Connor ha
Page 82 and 83: NCAOPThe National Council on Ageing
Page 84: The Equality AuthorityThe Equality
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